A Conference Affair
by The Blue Engine
Summary: In the final part of the 'Lover's Tiff' trilogy, Misty arrives at Lily of the Valley Island while Ash is fighting in his latest tournament. However, she is there for Dawn, giving her once enemy some much needed advice and forcing them both to rethink their futures and what love really means. Poke vs Pearl Shipping
1. Market Day

**Here is the final story in the trilogy that began with 'Lover's Tiff' and carried on in 'Sunken Ship'. I hope you all enjoy how the series ends :)**

**Chapter One: Market Day**

The Lily of the Valley Conference was an important part of Sinnoh's annual event calendar. It was the only time that such a huge group of trainers gathered in one place. The Hearthome Tag Team Competition and Grand Festival didn't even come close, and as a new day begun on Lily of the Valley Island, Dawn and Piplup found themselves struggling against the massive crowds.

"I didn't even know this many people could fit on one island!" Dawn shrieked, as people much taller than her nearly bowled her over as they passed.

"Pip Pip!" Piplup replied, as he scrambled up onto her head for safety. Though only a third of these people were trainers, lots of spectators had come, either to see friends or family, or simply to watch a good battle. But many stalls had been set up outside the stadiums, and people were flocking to them.

"Aww, and I've been saving up a heap of money for this!" Dawn moaned, as she struggled to get close to a clothes store, and failed to get near a postcard shop. Only one stall was quiet enough for Dawn to get close to. Dawn and Piplup examined some of the stuff on the tables, which included several Meowth dolls, and then they saw something they recognised.

"A Jessilina doll?" Dawn laughed, and held the miniature model of her old contest rival up for Piplup to see. "I didn't even know anyone made these!"

"Excuse me, but Jessilina was a great coordinator!" A female attendant shrieked, and grabbed the doll from Dawn's hands. Dawn looked up at the attendant in shock, and the purple haired attendant dropped the doll in surprise.

"You look familiar…" Dawn pondered.

"Wh-wh-why would you say that?" The attendant stuttered, and looked nervously over at her blue haired co-worker.

"Didn't you run a stall at the Twinleaf Town Festival?" Dawn said at last. The purple haired attendant sighed with relief and nodded. "That was a pretty fun festival!"

"Quite. Now, are you going buy something or just stand there all day?" The attendant snapped.

"Lup!" Piplup said angrily.

"It's fine Piplup, we won't stay if we're going to be snapped at." Dawn huffed, and she walked away from the stand. However, all of the other stalls were busy, and more people were joining the crowds surrounding them.

"Come on Piplup, let's just go and sit down." Dawn said sadly, and flopped down onto a green bench. Piplup jumped off her hat, and landed beside her. He looked up at his trainer, and saw that she was looking rather down.

"Piplup Pip?" He asked, and Dawn looked down at him.

"I'm fine." She replied, but Piplup gave her a knowing look, and she growled. "Fine, I'm not! I am just not coping well with being back in these large crowds, it reminds me of the Grand Festival." Piplup gasped at this, and Dawn out her head in her hands.

"Lup Lup Piplup Pip?"

"Yes, I thought I was fine about it as well, but I just can't handle having the stress, and the thought of Ash suffering the same loss." Dawn continued. "It is such a horrible feeling to get so close to victory, and then have it taken away."

"Piplup." Piplup agreed, and the two of them sadly remembered those fateful last few seconds of the Grand Festival final, when even their brilliant combination couldn't defeat Zoey.

"I'm not sure if I should try for contests again. That loss was just so extreme, and seeing that it could possibly happen again with Ash is making it worse." Dawn finished, and wiped a tear out of her eyes.

"Don't say that!" A familiar voice said from behind them. Piplup turned around, but Dawn simply froze. She recognised the voice, but hadn't heard it for weeks.

"You." She whispered, and slowly turned around.

Misty was standing behind her, looking a bit awkward. She was wearing a long light blue skirt, and a blue jacket over a yellow shirt.

"What are you doing here?" Dawn asked. "I thought we'd left you behind back in Sunyshore!"

"I deserve that, I was a bit of a cow to you." Misty said, nodding her head and making Dawn raise an eyebrow suspiciously. "But I came to this island for one reason."

"What, to try and make out with Ash?" Dawn growled.

"No Dawn, I came to see you."


	2. Misty's Voyage

**Chapter Two: Misty's Voyage**

_It had been over a month since Misty had last seen Dawn, but the young coordinator had been playing on her mind ever since the S. had sunk._

_When the fateful cruise ship sank, Misty was left in SunyshoreCity for a week, staying in a small motel with the other cruise shippers. It had given Misty a lot of time to think about what had happened. She thought about how she had stupidly and accidentally kissed Brock, all because Ash had gone off with that Chantelle girl. Misty had been heartbroken to see him do that, after all the two had been through together. She had been with him for so many occasions, during all of Kanto, the OrangeIslands and Johto, which was a lot more than May or Dawn. Had they been there when Ash had been told he had to save the world, or when his mother got kidnapped by Entei, or all those times Team Rocket kidnapped Pikachu, or when Charizard failed at the Indigo League.. the list went on and on, and thinking about it at the time had made Misty sick and sad to her core._

_But, after several days of weeping, Misty came to a realization: Ash was a selfish, up himself jerk._

_After all the time she had known him, he had always shown lots of affection to her when they had been together. But once Ash went off to Hoenn, he never contacted Misty, leaving her alone and lonely at Cerulean Gym. And Ash had even left all of his Pokemon behind, rarely even contacting them. She had remembered the promise he had made to his Pidgeot, but Ash had still left it in that tree. And Ash had gone swiftly from Misty to May, and then from May to Dawn. He wasn't just selfish, he was disgusting!_

_Soon, a new cruise ship, this one called the "S.S. Kyorge" arrived, and Misty was finally out of Sunsyshore. She had been cramped in a little room with too long, with her bad tempered thoughts for company. As the ship made it's way towards SnowpointCity, Misty tried to take her minds off things, and enjoyed the last of the cruise. She attended the fancy dinners, played in the pool, chatted up some hunky Hoenn men, and went shopping at one of the ship's stores. But everything kept reminded her of Ash: trainers batting, blue vests in the shops, people wearing caps, even a light bulb that exploded reminded her of Pikachu!_

_And then, a week after she had been onboard the ship, Misty was stuck inside due to cold weather. While she polished Staryu and Starmie, she watched the TV in her room. And the Sinnoh Grand Festival was on! Misty watched in awe at the amazing moves Dawn and her opponent, Zoey, pulled off, and was on the edge of her seat until the final explosion. When the smoke cleared, revealing Dawn had lost, Misty actually felt sorry for the girl that, only a few months ago, she had wanted to throttle. This led Misty to think about things: once Ash moved on to his next big project, where would that leave Dawn? Some of the Hoenn men had mentioned the "Isshu" region, which was far away from the others, and it had a league as well, but no contests. Dawn couldn't be dragged off to a place with no contests, which meant that she would be left alone, heart broken, while Ash would be off having a load of fun._

_"I can't let that happen!" Misty boomed, shocking Staryu and Starmie. She checked the route map, and discovered that they would be going to Lily of the Valley Island, home of the Lily of the Valley Conference and the League Championships._  
_For the two weeks they were at Snowpoint, Misty managed a good time. She went to their Pokemon Trainer School, met Candice, the gym leader, and visited the temple, where they were able to see Regice, Registeel and Regirock_!

_But once they were onboard that cruise ship, Misty began planning out exactly what to say to Dawn. Dawn hated her still, most likely, and Misty had to find some way around that if she wanted to get her message across!_

But, standing here now, Misty couldn't think of what to say. Dawn was giving her a nasty look, and Misty felt bad for all the things she had done when the two had last met. Would she be able to overcome that now, and prove to Dawn she was honest?

"No Dawn, I came to see you." Misty whispered. Dawn's jaw dropped. The coordinator stared at Misty for a moment, taking in what she said, and then turned and sprinted off. Misty looked at her little Piplup and sighed.

This was going to take a while.


	3. Brief Chats

**Chapter Three: Brief Chats**

"Dawn, wait!" Misty shouted, and picked Piplup up and ran after Dawn. But the young girl was running through the thick crowds, pushing people aside in her attempt to get away.

"DAWN!" Misty yelled, and heads turned in her direction. The red haired gym leader ignored them, and slid through an overweight couple.

"Piplup Pip!" Piplup cried, and the two both began calling out, as Dawn got closer to the hotel, and further away from them.

"Leave me alone!" Dawn yelled back, and broke out of the crowds, with a clear path ahead. Misty growled, and sprinted her heart out. She ran past the stall Dawn had visited earlier, and the three attendants watched her run past. They all looked at each other, and then ducked under their bench.

"Why, I do believe that is the original twerpette!" James whispered excitedly.

"Yes, and she seems to be chasing after the new twerpette!" Meowth cackled.

"It seems those two might be at loggerheads again!" Jessie said deviously. "Maybe we can attempt and steal their Pokemon again!"

"But last time we tried that, they both destroyed us!" James pointed out sadly. Jessie hit him on the head, and then stood up dramatically.

"Since when has that ever stopped us?" She boomed. "We never back down from a fight, and we can't let those two twerpettes win again! I have a plan to make sure we knock both of them a peg or two, and we can use some of our funds from this stall to beat them!"

"Sounds like a plan then, Jess." Meowth said warily.

"Come on you two, we can do this, we're Team Rock-"

"Umm, excuse me?" Jessie froze, and looked around. A trio of little girls were standing there, staring at her with puzzled expressions.

"Err… yes?" Jessie asked, trying not to look suspicious.

"How much for these cards?" One little girl asked, holding up some cards left over from their stall at the Grand Festival. Jessie wanted to keep going, but making money was more important at the moment. She gave James and Meowth a glare to signify 'we'll talk later', and then looked back at the girls. James and Meowth simply exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.

Misty and Piplup finally got out of the crowd, but by the time they did, they had lost Dawn.

"Damnit!" Misty cursed, and flopped down onto a bench.

"Piplup Lup Lup!" Piplup wailed, and pulled Misty's hand.

"Do you think you know where to find her?"

"Pip!" Piplup replied excitedly, and ran off towards some trees. Misty groaned, but she ran after little water type to make sure he didn't go missing. A minute later, the two had run through some trees, and the noise of the market disappeared. They had entered a forest, with luscious green grass, magnificent towering trees, and flocks of Starly flying from leafy tree to tree. It was much more peaceful here, and Misty felt more relaxed.

_As long as there aren't any bugs. _Misty thought, and laughed inside her own head.

"Piplup!" Piplup shouted. Someone shouted out in the distance, and Piplup ran towards the source of the noise. Misty followed after, and their feet sounded soft on the grass.

"Piplup, over here!" A faint voice called. A moment later, Dawn appeared, slightly out of breathe.

"Sorry for leaving you behind!" Dawn wailed, and hugged Piplup tightly. "I just wanted to get away from-" But then she paused, and looked angrily at Misty. "her."

"Dawn, I need to talk to you, urgently!" Misty pleaded.

"Why, do you have something nasty to say?" Dawn sneered back, and turned around, with Piplup in her arms.

"Just wait a minute, please!" Misty pleaded. "I really need to talk to you about this! My cruise ship is only here for about a day, so I want to talk to you before I leave!" Dawn stopped, and glanced back at Misty. She could hear how she was desperate from her voice, and could see that Misty looked very anxious.

"I suppose I can talk, for a little bit." Dawn said huffily.

"Oh thank you!" Misty beamed, her face lighting up. "I have been thinking about thi-"

"But first," Dawn interrupted. "I want a battle!" Misty froze, stunned.

"A battle, why?"

"I want to see how much I have improved since our last meeting." Dawn explained, bouncing a PokeBall in her hands. "And I think I know an idea of how to win." And she smiled widely. Piplup looked apologetically at Misty, who sighed.

"Alright then, let's do this."


	4. Just Like Old Times

**Chapter Four: Just Like Old Times**

Misty and Dawn soon found a clearing several metres away, giving them a large space for their battle.

"How did you even know about this forest?" Misty asked.

"We found it when Ash's PokeBalls went missing." Dawn explained. "It's nice and quiet, and away from the market, so we won't be distracted." Misty nodded, and reached into her bag. Dawn smiled, and whipped a PokeBall out, while Piplup sat besides her.

"Togekiss, SPOT-LIGHT!" And she threw the PokeBall into the sky. With a flash of light, a magnificent Togekiss formed in the skies. Misty froze while searching through her bag, and stared sadly up at the Togekiss, who was spinning in mid air.

"What's wrong, know you can't beat it?" Dawn sneered.

"No… I used to own a Togepi." Misty explained sadly. "I had her since she was an egg, but then, when I met up with Ash in Hoenn, she evolved into a Togetic in order to protect some other Togepi, and I had to release her to look after them." She wiped a tear away, and Togekiss hovered down, looking at her curiously.

"Toge Toge Kiss Kiss!" She called out, and Misty sniffed and wiped away more tears. Dawn felt a bit guilty, but remembered it was a battle and too stay focused.

"Alright, if you are using a flying type, I think I will use Gyarados." Misty explained, and searched through her bag. However, there was a flash of white light, which shot out of her bag, and a Psyduck formed on the grass.

"Psyduck Psy." He said nasally, and held his head in his hands. Misty groaned, and angrily dropped her bag.

"Can't you stay inside your Pokeball FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!" Misty bellowed. Psyduck simply looked at her, puzzled. Misty growled, and kicked her bag. Dawn laughed, and Misty glared at her.

"Let's just get this over with." Misty huffed.

"Gladly! Togekiss, begin with Aura Sphere!" Dawn boomed.

"Toge." Togekiss cried softly, and rose up into the air. A ball of light blue energy formed in her mouth, and she blasted it as Psyduck.

"PSY PSY PSY!" Psyduck wailed, and ran around, trying to avoid it. Misty sighed, but then she thought of the one thing that worked with Psyduck.

"Stand completely still, and put your head out!" Misty ordered. Psyduck froze, and stared at his trainer in confusion. The Aura Sphere hit his head, and Psyduck stood completely still.

"Alright, this time, I want you to try an Air Slash!" Dawn instructed.

"Kiss Kiss!" Togekiss said, and she twirled her right wing around. Wind came together, and turned into a swirling blue ball. She threw it downwards towards Psyduck, who remained still, and it smashed onto his head.

"Come on Dawn, is that the best you can do?" Misty sneered. Dawn's face turned red, and she looked upwards.

"Keep those Aura Spheres and Air Slashes coming!" She yelled.

"Piplup Pip!" Piplup said, trying to calm his trainer calm, but Dawn was desperate to defeat Misty. Togekiss fired more attacks, and Aura Spheres and Air Slashes kept exploding on Psyduck's head, and soon created a giant grey cloud.

"Excellent!" Misty shouted, but Dawn couldn't see what was so great.

"KEEP IT UP TOGEKISS!" Dawn yelled.

"Togekiss Kiss." Togekiss sighed, and forming the two attacks.

"Psyduck, Disable!" Misty boomed happily. Through the parting cloud, Dawn and Piplup could see two gleaming blue eyes. High above them, the Air Slash and Aura Sphere exploded, causing slight damage to Togekiss. The cloud finally disappeared, revealing Psyduck, who had a rather bruised head, with a determined look on his face and the gleaming eyes.

"When Psyduck's headache gets really bad, he is able to use his powerful psychic attacks!" Misty explained wickedly. Piplup and Togekiss looked worried, but Dawn simply growled.

"Go in with a Sky Attack!" She commanded

"Blast her back with Psychic!" Misty yelled. Togekiss dived down, covered with white energy, and went down at an alarming speed.

"Duck." Psyduck mumbled, and his eyes flashed pink.

"TOGE!" Togekiss yelled, as she was blasted out of the sky, skidding towards Dawn's feet.

"Are you alright?" Dawn asked, getting down on her knees. Togekiss looked up and nodded. "Alright, try Sky Attack again!"

"And we'll just use Psychic again!" Misty jeered. Togekiss got up, and as she was lowering to the ground, was able to zip quickly forwards, and got very close. Psyduck's eyes glowed pink as Togekiss got within an inch of him. She bucked her head down, and tried to push forwards, but Psyduck was too powerful, and Togekiss spiralled up into the air.

"You are going to have to fight stronger than that!" Misty cried. "You can't fight Psyduck's attacks like that! Fight to your strengths, and don't just fire random moves." Dawn was shocked that Misty would be giving her advice during a battle, but she guessed it was part of her plan to prove she was 'nice.' But Dawn knew she had a point: Misty was a tough gym leader, and had some good methods to counter Dawn. But, Misty wasn't a coordinator, and she wouldn't be able to deal with some contest styled moves!

"Togekiss, fire Aura Sphere into the air!" Dawn hollered up. Togekiss fired the Aura Sphere into the sky, where it rose high into the sky. "Now, charge up an Air Slash!"

"Kiss…" Togekiss said nervously, but twirled around, forming the Air Slash. The Aura Sphere began to fall down now, and was falling passed Togekiss.

"Throw Air Slash onto Aura Sphere!" Dawn instructed. Piplup looked up in awe as Togekiss threw the Air Slash. It hit the Aura Sphere, but instead of them exploding, it formed a glowing, light blue, spinning ball.

"What should we call that, Air Sphere?" Misty smiled. "Psyduck, deflect it with Psychic!"

"Dive down using Safeguard!" Dawn yelled quickly. A green sphere enclosed Togekiss, and she dived down towards Psyduck. The psychic little duck tried to stop the Air Sphere combination, but it was too powerful. His Psychic simply made the ball exploded, knocking him to the ground. The cloud enclosed Togekiss, and the green of her Safeguard wasn't visible.

"SKY ATTACK!" Dawn boomed. Misty gasped as there was a flash of white, and Togekiss shot out of the cloud. She smashed into Psyduck, and there was a flash of white light. Both trainers and Piplup covered their eyes, but both wanted to see what the final result was.


	5. Fatal Attractions

**Chapter Five: Fatal Attractions**

The smoke began to clear, and as the light died down, the three were able to stare over towards their Pokemon. Psyduck was lying in a small crater, unconscious, while Togekiss hovered over head. Misty sighed, and pulled a PokeBall out.

"Congratulations, you won." She said with a smile. Dawn was stunned, but then she looked at Piplup and Togekiss and beamed.

"I won, I won, I won!" She exclaimed, and picked Piplup up and hugged him tightly.

"Pip Pip!" He cried happily.

"Togekiss Kiss!" Togekiss said, and she swooped over, and joined in on the hug.

"Thank you, that was so awesome!" Dawn cried, and gave her a hug. Misty smiled and walked forwards. Dawn looked over Togekiss' wing towards the red head, who didn't look upset at all about the loss.

"You did a good job. I rely on Psyduck's headache boost a bit too much, I really shouldn't." Misty explained, and held her left hand out. Dawn nodded, and shook it.

"Now, can we please have that chat?" Dawn shifted her body uneasily.

"I am not sure…."

"Pip!"

"Toge!" Her body wailed, and both of them gave her a look, putting the pressure on her.

"Fine, let's go find somewhere to sit."

The next section of battles were underway, so the streets around the markets were empty as Misty and Dawn wandered out. Togekiss had returned to her PokeBall, but Piplup clung onto Dawn's head, getting a good view of the whole market complex.

"You have certainly improved your battling abilities." Misty commented, as the two walked awkwardly along the footpath. "I saw you in the Grand Festival, you did an excellent job."

"Thank you." Dawn replied stiffly. Misty realised that small talk wasn't working, so she decided to get right to the point.

"There's a bench here, why don't we have a seat?" Dawn nodded, and the sat down. Piplup jumped off Dawn's head and landed besides her.

"So, what is this urgent thing you want to talk about?" Dawn asked, crossing her legs and staring at Misty. The gym leader took a deep breath, and decided to just dive straight in.

"Ash has had a bunch of companions over his travels. Me, Tracey, May, Max, and other friends he has met along the way. But after Ash moves from one region to the next, he usually finds a new companion, and barely remembers the rest of us. Now, I have heard talk about a new region far away, and Ash is sure to go there next. If you go with him, you'll be take ages away from your other friends and family. But, if you stay, I don't want you to end up hurt, and then jealous and bitter like I was too you." Misty said quickly. Dawn was shocked by this, and her body seemed to relax a bit in her surprise.

"And… do you think this will happen again?" She whispered.

"I am almost positive. I have known him for much longer than you, and-" Misty explained, but then Dawn stood up.

"How do I know this isn't just a ploy? How do I know you aren't going to head off to this region and wait for him?" She shouted, causing heads to turn.

"What? How could you say that?" Misty gasped. "I may have been a bitch before, but I have realised that Ash doesn't love me anymore, and I don't think he will lo-"

"There is still a chance for us, no matter what you think!" Dawn yelled. She was going red in the face, and breathing very deeply. "And I won't let you, your vindictive comments or anything else stand in my way!"

"Oh really?" Misty asked, amused, surprising Dawn. "What about him?" Dawn turned around, wondering what she was on about.

On a television screen behind them, Paul was in the middle of a battle. Dawn's heart continued to beat, but now it was pumping more from the good surprise of seeing him than from anything else. Paul's hair and coat were being blown due to a Tailwind in effect, and he looked perfect as he ordered his Torterra to use Stone Edge against the Pidgeot flying above them.

"I noticed how you felt about him back on the cruise ship, and, judging by the way you are staring at that screen, you still care for him." Misty whispered, smiling slightly. Dawn ignored most of what she said, and her face lit up with joy as Pidgeot fell onto the icy field.

"What? Me, care for Paul? Ridiculous, he is Ash's rival." Dawn mumbled, and looked briefly at Misty.

"Yeah, you are really convincing me." Misty laughed. Dawn glared at her, and then stared back at the screen, as Paul sent Weavile out to counter his opponents Tangrowth.

"So, I may have a crush on him as well, so what?" Dawn huffed.

"So, you can't be in love with two people at the same time!" Misty pointed out, and stepped into Dawn's eyesight.  
"Will you just please promise to think about this? I don't want you to throw your life away." Dawn nodded, but grabbed Piplup and walked quickly away. Misty just sighed and turned away.

"Pip?" Piplup asked.

"Not now." Dawn whimpered, as she began to cry. She rushed back towards her room, with a lot of things for her to consider.

As Misty walked alone and lonely around the markets, Team Rocket peered at her from over their bench.

"Original twerpette is all alone, with no one to protect her." Meowth laughed.

"And, with no male twerps for protection," James began.

"Her Pokemon are ours for the taken!" Jessie cackled. The three began to laugh mischievously, and Wobbuffet popped out of his PokeBall.

"WOBB-UF-FET!" He cried. But the team ignored him, as they began to plot their next move.


	6. Island Nightmare

**Chapter Six: Island Nightmare**

Dawn sprinted back to her room, tears, more from confusion and annoyance than sadness, streaming down her face and ruining her vision. Piplup struggled to hang onto Dawn, as she was running very quickly.

"Piiiip-luuuup!" Piplup wailed, but Dawn didn't pay any attention. She ran between two trainers, ignoring their shouts, and finally reached their room. She flung the door open and ran in. Ash and Brock seemed to be out, probably training for his match later that day.

"Good, I want to be alone." Dawn whimpered, and she turned the television on. It was on the Lily of the Valley Conference channel, and was showing the last few minutes of Paul's battle. Tangrowth had defeated Weavile with AncientPower, but had been frozen in the process. Honchkrow had swiftly defeated it, and was now dealing with an angry Heracross.

"It's using Sky Attack, smart move." Dawn mumbled, as she dapped at her eyes with a tissue. Piplup looked at Dawn, and patted her on the knee, as he couldn't reach her shoulder.

"Thanks Piplup." Dawn said, and gave him a hug. There was a roar from the television, as Heracross fell to the ground, meaning Paul had won.

"GO PAUL!" Dawn shouted, and then giggled stupidly and fell back onto her bed. "Piplup, who do you think I should choose?"

"Lup Pip." Piplup shrugged, and Dawn sighed.

"I wonder what they would be like as husbands…." She pondered. Music began to emit from the TV, and Dawn looked up. They were now showing the schedule for the upcoming battles, and Ash's was happening in twenty minutes.

"I'll just have a quick nap before I head down." Dawn explained, and shut her eyes.

_Dawn found herself standing in a garden. Confused, the young coordinator turned around, trying to find more of where she was. The garden had several trees to the side, and lots of flowerboxes. But, there was also a house: a plain, two storey white house. It seemed to be glowing, and Dawn felt like she should approach it._

As she got closer, Dawn realised there were two doors: one was purple, and the other red. Light was coming from behind both of them, and Dawn wasn't sure what to do. She decided to flip her coin app on the Poketch. However, that seemed to have disappeared.

"Alright then…. Purple first." Dawn decided, and opened up the purple door.

The room she had entered was a mess: rubbish bins overflowing, stuff falling off tables and stands, and paper, drink cans and pizza boxes thrown across the floor. As Dawn stepped over food scraps, she realised the room was dark, despite the strange glow outside.

"Oh good, your home." A voice grunted. Dawn turned, and saw that a crummy little TV was on, it's light making the room a bit brighter. In front of it was a rather dirty old couch, and a dirty old man was sitting there.

"Hello?" Dawn asked nervously, cautiously steeping forwards. From the flickering light of the television, Dawn could make out that the man had purple hair, and was wearing a blue tracksuit that seemed very familiar.

"Paul?"

"Of course it's me, sweetcheeks." The middle aged version of Paul chuckled. "How did you think it would be?

"Umm… I'm not sure." Dawn mumbled.

"Anyway, did you bring me my beer? I need it to fully enjoy watching some of my old battles." Paul barked.

"No, sorry, I didn't bring you any beer." Dawn replied, staring around awkwardly. There was a creek from the couch, and she watched as the overweight, unclean version of Paul stood up.

"Why NOT!" He boomed, and picked up an empty can from beside him, and threw it over Dawn's head,. It simply bounced off, but than Paul picked up a beer bottle.

"I'm sorry, I can go and get some now, if you want." Dawn said quickly, her tone highlighting upon her fright.

"Bloody well better!" Paul roared, and smashed the bottle against the couch. Dawn ran out towards the door, and slammed it shut.

She was back in the garden, with the glowing house behind her. However, the purple door was no longer glowing, and only the red one was now.

"Should I…" Dawn wondered. But she figured that she wouldn't get out until she woke up, and decided to see what was behind the door. Nervously, Dawn turned the handle.

This house was much cleaner and happier: the yellow carpet was spotless, the couch was new and had no marks, and the television was a flash widescreen. The walls were painted lemon yellow, and it looked like the room actually was glowing. Relieved, Dawn began to wander through the house. Her feet sunk into the thick carpet, and she began to wander into different rooms: through a flash white and silver kitchen, past a gleaming bathroom, and a cosy bedroom with a huge king-sized bed.

But, as Dawn began wandering further down a sunny corridor, past pictures of Pokemon and trophy cabinets, she heard a noise coming a room at the end. It sounded like creaking, and appeared someone was talking. Dawn walked briskly, and put her ear against the white door. She heard someone say 'ash', and she decided to enter

_She instantly regretted doing it._

Dawn found herself in a small office: desk, chair, bookcase, window, computer, the usual. But, lying on top of a couch, two bodies were there. Dawn screamed, thinking the person on top was trying to kill the other. But then the person looked at her.

"Dawn!" A much older version of Ash exclaimed. He fell off of the figure, who Dawn recognised as being May, but still a lot older.

"Looks like we've been caught out." May sniggered, and began laughing like some of the crazy women back in Twinleaf.

"Dawn, I swear, this isn't what it looks like!" Old Ash cried, and began buttoning his shirt up. But Dawn had seen enough of her mother's romantic comedies to know what this was, and turned and ran.

"DAWN!" Ash cried, but Dawn was already back in the living room, the door wide open, with white light gleaming in….  
Dawn awoke with a start, and quickly leapt up. Her heart was racing, and her mind was spinning.

"Piplup Lup?" Piplup asked, confused.

"Just a bad dream, that's all it was." Dawn said, more to herself than Piplup.  
_  
'Attention all conference-goers, more battles shall be commencing in one minute!' _A man boomed through the intercoms throughout the complex.

"Ash!" Dawn exclaimed. She grabbed Piplup and her bag, and ran from the room. But she was running more from her strange dream than to get to the stadium on time. Dawn just didn't know what to make of it.


	7. Sneaking Around

**Chapter Seven: Sneaking Around**

Dawn thundered down the corridor, scaring people as she raced past them. Everyone was moving in the same direction, towards the stadiums, but this meant that there was a bit of a blockage.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" Dawn wailed, and knocked several people over.

"Piplup Pip!" Piplup gasped, as he clung onto her hat, but Dawn ignored him. The dream had badly shaken her up, and now her mind was spinning around. How could she possible be in love with these two very different people: Paul could be mean to Pokemon yet had mysterious qualities that made him attractive, while Ash was kind and funny, but had never made his feelings for one person clear to anyone, making him risky. Dawn seemed to love both of them, but how could she trust them when she dreamed of them being abusive and unfaithful?

"Watch where you're going, bimbo!" Someone snapped, and Dawn blinked, coming back down to Earth. She had accidentally bumped into someone, knocking their drink over.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Dawn gasped, but the person just grunted and walked off. The crowd was now thinning, as most people had managed to escape the hallway while Dawn had drifted off.

"Let's get going then Piplup, we don't want to miss out on our seats!" Dawn wailed, and she began sprinting again. Her mind was still reeling, but she wanted to get to the stadium, sit down, and attempt to relax for as long as possible.

A minute later, Dawn was finally outside of the main building. There was a cool breeze in the air, which washed over her, calming her down just a little bit.

"Piplup Pip Pip Lup?" Piplup asked, staring over Dawn's forehead into her eyes.

"I'm fine, I hope." Dawn replied, and began walking briskly. "All I need to do is focus on cheering for Ash: he'll need my support in this next battle, I heard the girl he is up against is very tough. I just can't think about those stupid dreams, and-"

"What dreams?" Dawn screamed, causing dozens of people to look at her, but she didn't care. She looked around for the source of the voice, and found someone sitting on a park bench, wearing a floppy sunhat, thick glasses, and a woollen purple jumper over a blue dress. The disguise was good, except for the long ginger hair hanging down at the back.

"Misty, what are you doing here?" Dawn hissed, rushing over towards her. "You better not be keeping tabs on me!"

"Of course not, I just wanted to come and watch the battle live!" Misty replied irritably. "I only have a small television in my room, so I thought seeing a battle live for the first time in ages might be quite nice."

"Ah, ok, sorry…" Dawn mumbled.

"It's alright. Now, what are these dreams you've been having?" Misty asked, peering over her sunglasses. Dawn just made a strange screeching sound, and Misty jumped in her seat.

"I don't want to think about them just yet!" She wailed, and even Piplup looked scared. "Just give me the battle to dwell things over, alright? I'll meet you where we had our battle." Misty tried to say something, but wasn't sure what, and simply nodded.  
_  
"All battles shall be commencing now. There are still seats available inside the stadiums."_

"Bugger, I'd better go!" Dawn gasped, and turned and fled, Piplup barely holding on. Misty watched her head into the stadium, and then began to move towards the Jumbotron TV to watch the match.

Watching from behind a bush, Jessie, James and Meowth followed Misty as she began walking.

"Poor little original twerpette is all on her own, boo-hoo!" Jessie jeered.

"If she is on her own, she'll be easier to capture!" James said excitedly.

"And hopefully no other twerps will even notice she's gone!" Meowth chuckled. The three exchanged mischevious looks and beamed.

"Let's get ready then!" Jessie cried, and the other two nodded, and they began to move.


	8. A Battle of Heart

**Chapter Eight: A Battle of Heart**

It took Dawn a minute to race up a dirty set of stairs, leaping over an assortment of litter and filth, before she finally reached the top of the staircase.

"I don't think the battle has started yet!" Dawn exclaimed, and Piplup chirped happily. The two reached a door with a handle across the frame. Dawn pressed on it, and the door swung open.

The stadiums at the Lily of the Valley Conference were enormous!

The oval shaped block of concrete wasn't as long or wide as a Pokeathlon arena, but the small field below looked minute amongst the crowd. There were twenty rows, stretching around the battle arena, and it appeared that every seat was full. People were on their feet, yelling and screaming, as Ash and his opponent, a girl, walked out.

"WE'RE JUT IN TIME!" Dawn yelled, though Piplup could still barely hear her over the crowd. But the little penguin could see, and he nodded to know he knew what she meant. Dawn smiled, and began moving towards a staircase. There was more litter, sticky patches, puddles of spilt drink and pieces of food growing mould to get over, and Dawn was able to focus on getting safely and cleanly down to Brock instead of on her dreams. But she doubted she could think on it with all the noise booming around her.

She finally got to the staircase, and began running down it, past more screaming fans, and watched as Ash and the girl stood in their places. Dawn felt a sensation in her stomach, and nearly came to a halt, but then she heard her name.

"DAWN, OVER HERE!"

In the front row a few metres away, Brock was waving at her to attract her attention.  
"Piplup Pip Pip!" Piplup cried, and pointed over at him. Dawn quickly ran down the last few steps, and flopped down next to Brock.

"What took you so long, and where have you been this morning?" Brock asked once Dawn caught her breathe. Piplup and Dawn exchanged looks, and Dawn simply shrugged.

"I saw an old friend from Twinleaf, nothing major." She replied, and looked out onto the field. Brock gave her a confused look, but shook it off, and looked over as well. Ash had sent out Bayleef, while the girl had sent out a Manectric.

"I looked at this girl's last battle last night, and she seems to focus on blocking moves a lot." Brock explained, as Manectric fired a Thunderbolt at Bayleef's Razor Leaf.

"Ah, that could cause a lot of trouble for Ash!" Dawn replied, though she didn't really care about what Brock's strategies were. She focused her attention on the battle: watched as Bayleef started up a continuous Razor Leaf bombardment, and produced so many leaves that Manectric couldn't avoid them all, allowing for a Headbutt smash down.

Next, the girl sent out a Pidgeot: the majestic bird swooped down at Bayleef, ignoring a Vine Whip, and knocked her out cold. Ash responded with Glalie, and a battle between Pidgeot's Heat Wave and Glalie's Ice Beam began.  
Dawn, Piplup and Brock watched the battle intently, with Brock commenting on every other move Ash or his opponent made. Piplup seemed very excited by the battle, especially when a huge explosion set the crowd screaming.

But Dawn could barely pay attention to the Pokemon, only on the trainer.

Now that she was sitting down and relaxed, Dawn's mind had gone straight back into it's over-complicated thought mode. Watching the battle begin had made Dawn think of the battle Paul had just had. The two men she loved were quite different trainers: Paul was crueller to his Pokemon, making them tougher and more fierce in battle, while Ash liked to bond with his Pokemon more, and used the bonding time to work on new moves and strategies to improve his battling.

_Hang on a second_, Dawn thought. _Why am I judging them on their Pokemon training? How they train Pokemon is probably very different to how they would treat a woman!_

"Wow, look at that!" Dawn blinked, and looked back at the battle. There had been another explosion, which caused a huge rainbow in the centre of the field. The whole stadium roared, butt he trainer cursed as Pidgeot fell out of the sky, and landed with a splat in front of her.

"Ash only has one more Pokemon to defeat, and then he's through!" Brock exclaimed.

"Lup Piplup Lup Lup!" Piplup wailed as well.

"I know, isn't it great?" Dawn said, faking enthusiasm. She wanted to dwell on her issue more, but as the trainer sent out a Grumpig, and Glalie dived into a Headbutt, Dawn thought of something. What she mainly needed to know was how those two felt: how could she begin planning things without finding out what they think?

"Why are you smiling?" Brock asked, turning away from the battle. Dawn looked over at him, unaware of the grin on her face.

"Oh, well, I'm just happy that Ash could win!" She replied quickly, and looked back at the battle. But Dawn was just happy that, hopefully, she could soon put this behind her, and find out who her heart should belong too.

Standing outside the stadium, watching Ash's Glalie fall to the ground, Misty couldn't help feel a bit of nostalgia. Sure, back in the day she would have been sitting in the stadium, getting it live, instead of watching it on a TV while her legs began to hurt.

"Oh well." Misty mumbled to herself. No one else was around, so no one paid attention to her. Misty sighed and wandered over to a park bench, and sat down as Ash sent out Snorlax.

"Hurry up Ketchum, I need this battle to finish!" Misty huffed. She was concerned for Dawn's wellbeing, and she didn't want her to end up like her: lonely, bitter and bored. Hopefully, Dawn would make the right decision which would make her happy. Misty figured that if she had travelled to Hoenn with Ash, than maybe they would still be together. There was still some hope for him and Dawn though.

"GOTCHA!"

Misty screamed as a large brown blanket was flung over her head, blocking out most of the light and restraining her. She heard laughter as she tried to get it off, and she began to scowl.

"TEAM ROCKET!" She screeched. Jessie, James and Meowth laughed as they picked up her squirming body.

"Time for you to go, twerpette!" Jessie snorted.

"But before you leave, we want to refresh your memory of how things use to be!" James explained.

"And we wouldn't make taking your lovely little gym Pokemon either!" Meowth screeched, and Team Rocket continued to laugh as they ran off into the forest.


	9. Them Again

**Chapter Nine: Them Again**

_"And the winner is…. ASH KETCHUM!"_

The crowd roared one final time, as the winner of the match was announced. Ash' Snorlax had flattened his opponents Grumpig, giving him the win and sending him onto the next round.

"Brilliant, an absolutely fantastic match!" Brock shouted.

"Piplup Pip!" Piplup exclaimed, and danced happily on the seat. Dawn smiled widely, and watched as Ash and Pikachu ran forwards to hug Snorlax.

"He did do an amazing job during that battle!" She agreed, and clapped loudly. But than Dawn remembered she'd promised to meet Misty after the match. She desperately needed to explain her bizarre dream, and couldn't put it off any longer.

"Sorry Brock, but I have to go!" Dawn gasped, and scooped Piplup up.

"Where are you going?" Brock asked suspiciously.

"I just promised to meet that old friend after the match!" Dawn replied, as she turned to leave. "Tell Ash he did a good job!" And with that, Dawn sprinted up the stairs, past the screaming spectators that almost deafened her.  
"Piplup Pip Pip!" Piplup scolded.

"I know I should have congratulated him in person, but we need to see Misty!" Dawn explained, and opened the door and sprinted down the staircase. She was running so quickly that she nearly tripped over, but Dawn got down the stairs in one piece, and ran out into the courtyard.

Misty wasn't in sight.

Dawn's elation at finally being able to open up disappeared, and she looked around the area, confused. Misty's bright hair wasn't visible anywhere, even with her goofy disguise.

"This is annoying, she should be here!" Dawn huffed. She began power walking around the area, trying to see her. She went past the stalls, checked the toilets, and went behind the back of the stadium

"Lup Pip!" Piplup panted, after fifteen minutes of non stop walking, and sighed as he and Dawn ended up right back outside the stadium. Some people were beginning to trickle out, while tohers were remaining for the next match. Dawn collapsed onto a bench, and rubbed her legs.

"You'd think we'd be immune to these sorts of pains after all this time spent travelling!" She moaned. More people were in the area now, so it would be impossible for them to find Misty. Dawn stopped rubbing her legs and tilted backwards onto the bench, looking up at the skies. Piplup lay next to her, and the two just looked upwards, thinking about what to do. The sky was almost clear, except for one large cloud that was floating slowly by. It looked like an airborne piece of wool, and reminded Dawn of one of her soft, fluffy pillows back in Twinleaf. The cloud began to separate due to the wind, but to Dawn, it looked like it was spreading its wings….

"THAT'S IT!" Dawn shouted, and everyone around her stared at her. She blushed slightly, and picked Piplup up and ran towards the stall area.

"Piplup Pip?" Piplup asked, as Dawn stopped behind a food cart.

"That cloud has given me an idea of how to find Misty!" Dawn explained, and pulled a PokeBall out. "Togekiss, let's go!" She shouted, and threw it into the skies. With a flash, the white energy poured out, and formed into the Jubilee Pokemon.

"Kiss Kiss!" Togekiss called, and landed delicately in front of the two.

"You know that girl, Misty, we battled earlier?" Dawn explained, and Togekiss nodded. "Well, could you fly up into the sky and try and see her? I really need to find her!"

"Togekiss Toge!" Togekiss said with a smile, and she floated back into the skies. Piplup jumped up, and Dawn caught him and placed him on her head. She then ran out, and walked briskly underneath Togekiss as she flew around, trying to search for her. But they had barely been walking for a minute when Togekiss froze and turned around.

"Togekiss, what is it?" Dawn shouted. Togekiss didn't seem to hear her, and began moving towards the forest. Dawn rushed after her, and left the noisy market for the quiet trees once again.

"Togekiss, where are you?" Dawn cried out, and began running through the corridor of trees.

"Piplup Pip Piplup!" Piplup shouted as well. There was a rustling above them, and Dawn nearly screamed as Togekiss plunged through the branches, before landing softly alongside her.

"Why did you run off?" Dawn asked, as she clutched her chest, her heart racing.

"Toge Togekiss Kiss Kiss!" Togekiss explained, and turned around, and took off again. Dawn ran to catch up, Piplup clinging tightly to her pink beanie as they moved. Togekiss snapped several branches as she flew, but came to a sudden stop after two minutes. Togekiss pointed with her left wing, and Dawn and Piplup quietly peered through some bushes.

They were back at the clearing where they had battled, and there was still a crater from where Psyduck had laid. However, there was something else in the clearing now: Dawn and Piplup could make out a green basket, connected to some ropes pegged into the ground, with cables connecting it to a pale, oval shaped object, which resembled a Meowth head.

It was Team Rocket's balloon!

"That's what you must have seen!" Dawn whispered.

"Kiss!" Togekiss replied quietly.

"Lup Pip!" Piplup gasped, and pointed to the right of the basket, and Dawn and Togekiss followed where he had pointed.

Sitting on several stools where the malicious trio themselves: Jessie, James and Meowth were laughing and nearly dancing with joy, staring behind them as they did so. Misty was tied to a tree, and struggling against her ropes. Team Rocker was searching through her bag, pulling out a PokeBall every so often.

"They've captured Misty!" Dawn gasped, and Piplup jumped off her head and onto Togekiss, so the two Pokemon stared at her. All thoughts of the dream had disappeared due to the shock of the situation, but Dawn needed to talk about them still, and the only person she could talk to was Misty! Even though the two had been at each other's throats the last two times they had met, a special bond seemed to have developed this time, and Dawn knew the right thing to do would be to save her.

"Togekiss, fly up into the sky, I'll need you two later." Dawn told them. Togekiss and Piplup looked nervously, but agreed, and Togekiss flew upwards. Dawn took a deep breath, and then walked into the clearing.


	10. For Victory

**Chapter Ten: For Victory**

Team Rocket were acting like kids in a toy store: every time they found one of Misty's Pokemon, they would squeal happily and shrilly in celebration.

"A Lure Ball, that must be her Corsola!" Jessie shouted.

"We could evolve all of her Pokemon to make one super powered team!" James suggested. "Kingdra, Azumarill, Seaking!"

"Hell yeah!" Meowth cried in agreement, and the three villains began cackling loudly. Misty glared at them as she pulled against her restraints, but they paid no attention to her. She pulled as hard as she possibly could, but her arms were beginning to hurt, and she just wanted them to take the tape off her mouth so she could scream at them! But Misty's thoughts of revenge disappeared as a loud snap echoed throughout the clearing: her head turned so fast it cricked, but Misty ignore this as she saw Dawn walk slowly into the field, holding four of her PokeBalls. Team Rocket gasped and leapt up, Jessie and James both pulling a PokeBall out as well.

"Well well well, Twerpette Junior is here to save her predecessor, how touching!" Jessie sneered.

"Let Misty go and I won't have to attack you!" Dawn shouted, and raised her PokeBalls up. Jessie and James just laughed, and Meowth began juggling Misty's numerous PokeBall's into the air.

"We've upgraded our Pokemon, you see!" The Meowth explained, before laughing again. "If you try and stop us, we'll easily counter back!" And he tossed more of the balls towards Jessie and James. Dawn looked at Misty, and it was very clear that she was uncomfortable, distressed and in pain. The red head was staring sadly from Dawn to her PokeBalls, tears beginning to form at the prospect of losing her Pokemon.

"Don't worry Misty, I'll save them!" Dawn boomed, and she dropped the four PokeBalls. The mixture of bright lights and white energy blinded Team Rocket, but seconds later it disappeared, to be replaced by four Pokemon: Buneary, Pachirisu, Cyndaquil and Mamoswine.

"Your pathetic Pokemon can't stop us!" Jessie laughed. "Go Seviper!"

"Carnivine, wipe the floor with them!" James cried, and both of them threw their PokeBalls. Seviper and Carnivine burst forwards, hissing and growling at them all. Dawn's Pokemon all reared up, getting ready to fight. But then stood forwards, and the four Pokemon all crowded around.

"I have a way to defeat them using our strengths: contests!" Dawn whispered. Buneary and Pachirisu looked excited at the mention of contest, and Cyndaquil's back began burning with fire. Mamoswine looked over at Team Rocket, desperate to fight.

"Great, I'm glad you are so excited!" Dawn squealed, and she looked up at Team Rocket with roaring determination. "Buneary and Pachirisu form Ice Chandelier, and Cyndaquil and Mamoswine make your Flame Ice Combo!" They all nodded, and Buneary quickly began using Ice Beam on Pachirisu, while Cyndaquil rolled up into a ball of fire.

"Contest moves , eh?" Jessie hissed. "Seviper use Poison Tail on that Mamoswine!"

"Carnivine use Vine Whip to stop that Ice Beam!" James shouted.

"MAMO!" Mamoswine shouted, and the glowing silver ball that was AncientPower formed. He blasted it towards Seviper, knocking her over into Carnivine. Dawn cheered, and used the time to run towards Misty. She pulled the tape off her mouth quickly, and Misty ignored the pain, breathing in fresh air.

"Oh no you don't!" Meowth shouted, and he ran forwards, his claws glowing and extending. He leapt up, spinning forwards with his sharp Fury Swipes. Dawn squealed, but Misty simply turned: the attack slashed through the ropes.

"So predictable!" Misty laughed as the ropes fell to her feet. Meowth simply looked stunned and Misty pushed him away, and then got down and undid her feet.

"You must have some practice with this." Dawn chuckled nervously, and Misty sighed and nodded. The two girls ran forwards towards Jessie and James, who were too distracted by their Pokemon. Buneary was finishing up forming the Chandelier, and Cyndaquil was still spinning.

"Mamoswine and Pachirisu, Ice Shard and Discharge now!" Dawn shouted. Mamoswine nodded, and quickly formed the Ice Shard. The icy blue ball suddenly began glowing, and Seviper and Carnivine looked nervously.

"Excellent idea!" Misty shouted, before she leapt up and grabbed onto Jessie's hands. The Team Rocket women yelled, and the two began fighting over two of the PokeBalls.

"Give them back, you've lost!" Misty shrieked.

"Finders Keepers!" Jessie protested. James grabbed onto Jessie, and Dawn grabbed onto Misty, and they all began pulling on the PokeBalls. The four shouted insults at each other, leaving their Pokemon to fend for themselves. As Jessie began clawing at Misty, Carnivine and Seviper charged forwards, ready to attack.

"VINE!"

"SEVI!" The two shouted, Vine Whips and Poison Tails at the ready. Mamoswine looked at Buneary and the two nodded, and they shouted out at their friends. Pachirisu began running forwards, her electricity blinding the two Team Rocket Pokemon. Their attacks missed due to their temporary blindness, and Pachirisu had a clear path towards them. But also attacking was Cyndaquil: the ice had formed around him, and he was now burning inside his jagged ice capsule.

"Bun Bun!" Buneary shouted in joy, and she and Mamoswine watched as Seviper and Carnivine stared at the attacks in shock. Jessie and James noticed what was about to happen and gasped, this distraction allowing Misty and Dawn to give another powerful pull: the six PokeBalls flew into the air.

"YES!" Misty and Dawn shouted, and they jumped up to grab them.

"NO!" Jessie and James shouted, just as their Pokemon got hit: Flame-Ice and the Ice Chandelier blasted Carnivine and Seviper backwards, hitting their trainers. Seviper's long tail caught Meowth, bringing him into the pile.

"I had a feeling this would happen…" James sighed.

"It can't get any worse…." Jessie mumbled. Misty stood forwards and raised her PokeBalls, ready to release them, but Dawn grabbed hold of them.

"This one's mine." Dawn whispered, and she looked upwards. "Piplup, Togekiss, end this now!" All heads looked to the sky where the cries of Pip and Toge filled the air. There was a powerful white flash, and suddenly it appeared that a white missile was trailing towards them, powerful red energy flowing behind.

"You're ending move at the Grand Festival!" Misty gasped, and Dawn smiled and nodded.

"I think we should get out of the way." Dawn advised. "See you three around!" She added to Team Rocket, before grabbing Misty and running. Team Rocket looked at each other as Togekiss and Piplup came speeding towards them.

"Better brace for impact." Meowth said with a sigh, and Jessie and James simply grunted. Dawn, Misty and Dawn's Pokemon all jumped behind Mamoswine, just in time as the attack hit the ground. The explosion released a powerful red shockwave, sending earth flying into the sky.

"Moswine Wine Mamo!" Mamoswine moaned, and he struggled to stay upright against the blast. Once the wind had stopped howling, they were able to hear a distant shouting that made the two smiling.

"I think they blasted off." Misty said, and the two began laughing. Togekiss and Piplup through up, both looking a bit sore, but were stunned to see Dawn and Misty cracking up, nearly rolling on the ground as their laughs echoed in the forest. Dawn's Pokemon all exchanged looks, and they couldn't help but start laughing at the two girls as well. Within seconds, everyone was laughing, and Misty and Dawn looked at each other and smiled.

It seemed they were no longer enemies.


	11. A Kiss Goodbye

**Chapter Eleven: A Kiss Goodbye**

The sun had begun to set by the time Misty and Dawn arrived back at the harbour. Tons of boats were scattered around the wooden and stone port, many of them preparing to take people back to the nearby islands where they were staying. But the grand S.S. Kyorge towered above them all, its rich blue and red livery making it quite a spectacular sight. The thousands of windows were all glowing in the dying sunlight, and Misty and Dawn stood at the top of the harbour, watching the truly spectacular sight.

This would be the last time the two would be together for a while. The S.S. Kyorge had to move on, which meant that Misty would be sailing away with it. A long line of people were already moving up the stairs to board the magnificent vessel, and soon Misty would have to join them.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together." Misty whispered as the two girls stood together, staring at the giant boat.

"Yeah, it would be nice to hang out with another girl for a change." Dawn whispered, and the two of them looked at each other, both of them smiling. They had spent most of the day inside that field playing with their Pokemon and getting to know each other a bit better. They both had huge big goals: Dawn wanted to be a top coordinator, and Misty wanted to be the most powerful water-type trainer in the world. The more they got to know each other, putting their previous petty fights aside, the more they realised how they are like each other, both young girls with big dreams, both held back by the same man.

"Promise me you won't let him get to you." Misty said, and she wrapped her arms around Dawn, giving her a huge hug. Dawn hugged Misty back, and the two of them seemed to be fighting back tears. Piplup, who was sitting at their feet, watched with a smile, and the girls eventually broke apart, both of them crying.

"I won't let him get the best of me." Dawn replied, sniffing loudly. "If he wants to go to that other region, I'm going to be staying in Sinnoh."

"That's great to hear!" Misty said, beaming brightly. A loud horn suddenly sounded and Misty squealed: it was the five minute horn, signalling that the S.S. Kyorge was going to leave. "That means I have to go!"

"Bye, I'll come visit you at your gym some time!" Dawn said quickly, giving her another brisk hug. Misty turned and began to run, but waved back at the two of them, shouting her goodbyes. Dawn sighed and headed over to a bench, collapsing into it alongside Piplup.

"Pip Piplup Lup?" Piplup asked as he hugged her arm.

"I just would have liked to have spent some more time getting some advice." Dawn replied, wiping away tears. "But I should be alright." Misty had reached the staircase, passing her papers over and still managing to wave at them. Dawn was about to wave back when she heard some loud footsteps thundering alongside.

"MISTY! MISTY, WAIT!" Dawn and Piplup froze and slowly exchanged looks as they recognised the voice that was shouting. And sure enough Ash Ketchum rushed past them, not evening noticing they were there. Misty saw Ash coming and looked nervously over at Dawn before stepping off the staircase while her papers were checked.

"Ash, hey, it's good to see you, but I'm in a bit of a-" The red headed girl began explaining, but Ash ignored this and hugged her tightly.

"I've missed you so much, and I was thinking the other day about going to Cerulean, but than I see you wandering around with Dawn and I'm overjoyed! I'm just glad I caught you in time." He explained. "By the way, you and Dawn weren't fighting again, were you?"

"No, not this time, we actually made up." Misty replied quickly. "Ash, seriously, I need to get on this boat. Good luck with your other battles, but-" Ash interrupted her again, but this time he leant forwards and kissed her softly on the lips. Misty's heart nearly stopped and her mind temporarily blanked out, and she shut her eyes, all the good times from Kanto, the Orange Islands and Johto rushing back to her.

But than she remembered why had come her: she had let her love for Ash consume her, depress her, ruin her, and she had come to stop that from happening to Dawn. Misty stepped backwards, horrified at herself for dropping her standards. She looked over at where Dawn was sitting and felt horrible as she saw Dawn staring at her in shock.

"I-I-I can't do this, I-I need to go." Misty stuttered. Ash looked like a little kid that had his candy taken away from him, but Misty no longer cared. She grabbed her papers and ran up the staircase two at the time, just as the ship's horn sounded again.

Dawn watched Ash watching misty with a sharp pain in her chest and stomach: how could he have ignored her, not even noticed she was there, and go and kiss Misty? Dawn began to sob heavily, and Piplup patted her on the back, unsure what to do.

"How could he…." She whispered to herself through her sobs. Dawn clutched Piplup and her bag and leapt up, turning and rushing back through the market, not wanting to see Ash ever again, not wanting him to break her heart ever again.


	12. Time for a Plan

**Chapter Twelve: Time for a Plan**

It didn't take long for Dawn to run back to their hotel room, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to think anymore, she didn't even want to feel anymore. She just sprinted up the stairs, down the hallway and burst into the room.

"Dawn, what's wrong?" Brock asked, but he was ignored as Dawn rushed straight into their elegant yet simple bathroom. Piplup jumped into the sink as Dawn turned the shower on before sitting down on the toilet seat.

"How could I have been so stupid!" She shrieked, sobbing into her hands. "Despite what Misty said I've let him get to me!" Piplup sighed and jumped out of the sink, rushing towards her friend and hugging her leg. Dawn laughed through her tears and picked the little water type up, giving him a hug.

"I don't know what I would do without you." Dawn whispered.

"Piplup Pip." Piplup replied, and he used his wing to wipe some of the tears away. The two just sat their in silence, letting the shower continue to run. They remained in their embrace, Piplup's comfort allowing Dawn to think of other things. She refused to let herself think about Ash, or Misty, or love, or heartbreak, or anything like that. She was letting her emotions consume her, preventing her from thinking of anything else. Ash had been leading her on for ages: he had never said that he was in love with Misty, or May, or any other girl.

"He's a pig." Dawn said at last after nearly ten minutes of silence. "Ash knew I liked him, ever since that party at the PokemonCenter, but he never said anything about my feelings. He just allowed me to like him, and I hate him for that."

"Lup Pip!" Piplup agreed. Dawn laughed softly, feeling a lot better to have said it aloud.

"I think I'll have a shower now, before Brock begins to worry." Piplup nodded, and Dawn placed him outside the room before stepping into the shower. The water was cool and refreshing, and Dawn could feel all her troubles wash away. However, the thought of both Ash and Paul were at the back of her mind. Dawn needed something to distract her, something keep her mind off the men for a few days. Ash and Paul both had more battles, and then it would be time for the quarter and semi finals before the final big battle. There was no doubt in her mind that Ash and Paul would end up battling each other, and she wasn't sure if her heart and mind could take the two battling each other: she'd probably tear in half.

"I can do this, I don't need these men!" Dawn whispered aloud, and she began to think of ways to keep herself occupied.

Over the next few days, Dawn had to live a lie.

She went to watch Ash battle Conway, and she helped him out with training, but she felt uncomfortable during these times. Ash didn't know that Dawn had seen him kiss Misty, and Brock was unsure about what had made her cry and had opted not to ask her about it. Dawn respected this, and it allowed her to think about other things. She began looking into different sorts of contests happening around Sinnoh, read up on some battling stuff, and decided to make a new outfit for Piplup to wear during the battle.

Dawn was pleased to have so many distractions: the more time she spent near or thinking about Ash or Paul just depressed her, consuming her from the inside. She didn't want to live this way, spending all her time thinking about two boys. They were crushes, they should pass, she thought. She was young, had the rest of her life ahead of her! Dawn began to feel more relaxed as the quarter finals got closer, and was ready for whatever happened.

Except Ash and Paul battling each other.

"You look absolutely handsome in that outfit Piplup!"

It was the morning of the battle, and it was definitely the tensest battle Dawn would be going to. Ash and Paul: finally facing off in the ultimate field. Ash had been training almost non-stop ever since it was announced, giving more time for Dawn to be by herself.

"Piplup Pip Pip Piplup!" Piplup said happily as he wore his new cheering outfit. Dawn had used lots of fabric from the market stalls to make it, and was very pleased with the finished result. It had taken lots of hours, several slight cuts on her fingers, and had been the perfect distraction from it all.

"Come on, let's go show everyone!" Dawn said excitedly and picked Piplup up. It was early enough in the morning, so most people were still asleep. There were the distant sounds of boats honking as they headed into the port, but Dawn had tried to ignore the sea vessels over the last few days. Thinking about it made her think about Misty…. ad Ash…. ad Paul…..

"AAARGGH!" Dawn shrieked, frightening poor Piplup. "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" She moaned. "My heart and my brain are in two, and this battle today isn't helping. Whatever happens today someone I like is going too lose!"

"Lup Pip." Piplup sighed. Dawn couldn't blame him: she had been going on about Ash and Paul a lot lately. One second she didn't want anything to do with them, the next she felt bad for the two of them. It was tearing her apart and meddling with her mind.

"I need to confront these feelings." Dawn said boldly. "I'm going to watch this battle carefully, see how the two work. I think seeing how this battle goes will really help me decide my true feelings!" Piplup nodded and was about to respond when they heard something: they had walked straight into the main lobby, and Paul was on the phone to Reggie!

"Oh god!" Dawn hissed, and she ducked behind a couch, though not before Paul noticed her. Dawn cursed inside her head, annoyed at how she had just aimlessly and stupidly walked into the hall. Why did Paul have to appear now of all times, just when Dawn had made a plan. Paul blatantly ignored her and headed towards the glass doors.

"So rude!" Dawn huffed and stood up, a new plan forming in her mind: she could confront Paul now, see if she still felt the same feelings she felt on the cruise ship. Would he be gentle and friendly again, or was he letting the battle consume him like she had allowed these thoughts to consume her?

Either way, it was time to settle this once and for all!


	13. The Final Confrontation

**Chapter Thirteen: The Final Confrontation**

Dawn began walking quickly towards Paul, who was ignoring her and heading towards the doors. She had to talk to him now, she had to sort out what was going on inside her mind.

"That was Reggie you were talking to. So is he coming here today?" Dawn asked quickly. Paul glanced at her with his usual moody expression but didn't answer. Dawn sighed and looked at Piplup: how could she have said something so stupid?

"So how's he doing?" Paul's voice suddenly rang out, and Dawn looked up at him with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. But Dawn got a painful feeling as she realised who he must be talking

"You mean…. How is Ash?" She asked, feeling her joy of them talking slipping away: he just wanted to know about his rival. Paul just made a huffing noise and began walking away, and Dawn could feel her anger building up: she wanted to talk to him, sort out their feelings, but he was being too complex. How was she supposed to know both of their feelings if he was walking away from her?

"Wait, if you ask a question, don't you want to hear the answer?" Dawn cried, using the question to allow her to chase after him. Paul continued to ignore her, and Dawn couldn't help her emotions building up. She couldn't help herself: his moodiness was making her feel more attracted to him.

"Ash is doing some last minute training with his Pokemon, want me to get him?" Dawn asked.

"Please… don't, no need." Paul replied quickly as the two headed outside. It was still early in the day, so it wasn't quite as bright and sunny. Dawn and Piplup both exchanged looks and then sighed.

"Why'd you ask about him then?"

"I don't know!" Paul retorted as they headed down the path.

"Oh great…." Dawn mumbled. She was getting thoroughly annoyed with what was happening as it wasn't going the way she had planned, as she hadn't expected Paul to be in such a bad mood.

"I just don't like him…." Paul said suddenly, and Dawn was rather shocked: she thought that Paul would at least have some form of respect for Ash. "He talks just like my brother. Friends, trust, my brother says those things all the time too." Dawn wasn't sure what she was wearing. It was such a stupid reason to not like someone, and Paul's attitude was getting on her nerves.

"But Paul, Ash isn't Reggie. Ash is Ash and that's that!" Dawn insisted, and Paul simply ignored her once again. Dawn sighed and decided there was no point trying any more: the thoughts she had had in her dreams were correct. Paul did act like he did in battle, with his moody and sometimes brutal nature. There was a chance that deep down he was sweet, but Dawn couldn't be other holding onto that sort of hope anymore.

"PAUL!" A sudden shout came across the footpath. Dawn froze in her line of thought as Ash became running towards them.

_This wasn't how I planned this… _She thought with a mental sigh. _This wasn't supposed to happen here. I wanted to sit down, talk about this properly, hear their sides of the story. _Ash began running towards them, a huge smile on his face. Paul stared back at him with a foul look, and Dawn could feel the tension rising.

"Look," Paul continued. "Ash is just like any other trainer I'd have to battle in the quarter finals." Ash was getting nearer and Paul continued to talk, but Dawn suddenly disappeared from this world: she shut her eyes as the words Paul had said washed over.

_Just like any other trainer…._

_That's it! _Dawn thought as Ash finally came to a halt in front of them. _That's what I've been making myself think all along: I've been making myself think that Ash was 'the one.' He and Paul were some of the first boys I met when I began my journey. I've been watching both of them develop as trainers and have furious battles. _She continued to think rapidly as she stood besides Ash and brushed Barry off, who had moved behind them along with Brock. Ash and Paul were having an exchange, but Dawn was beginning to not care anymore, her sudden realisation fixing her. However, Ash said something about Cynthia, and Dawn suddenly remembered something, remembered an important line that had been said weeks ago.

"I remember…. When every life meets another life, something will be born…." Dawn said aloud, quoting the champion and the famous Time-Space legend. Her mind was reeling as she left everyone else stunned: was that what had happened between her and Ash and Paul? Had some sort of instant connection formed between each of them that Dawn had thought it had meant something? Everyone seemed a bit confused, and Dawn couldn't help be confused either.

"I'm wondering what that something is…." Dawn mumbled, her mind racing and her heart pumping. It wasn't because she was confused, it was for the opposite reason: Dawn was certain she had found her answer.

_I'm getting too worked up over some simple crushes! _She thought, pleased she was making sense for the first time in days. _I've let these over hyped emotions get to me, and they've been consuming me. And being with Misty made me think that I had to grab hold of them, and then that Chantelle girl made things worse…. I've let other people fuel my emotions and my circumstances. I'm only ten years old, I seriously don't need to be worrying about these things! _

Dawn suddenly felt like the weight had been lifted of her shoulders. With the happiness of her sudden epiphany, she watched as Paul headed off in one direction, and Ash moved towards the hotel in the opposite direction. The two people that had been jammed in her mind for days were know heading away from her.

"Come on Piplup, I suddenly feel like celebrating." Dawn said happily, and she followed the others back towards the hotel, a clear head for the first time since she'd arrived on the island.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Several weeks later…

_Dear Misty,_

_I was very pleased to receive your postcard. I'm glad your enjoying the rest of the cruise and that it doesn't end too soon: it sounds like your having a lot of fun and having to go back to Cerulean would surely spoil it! _

_I only just arrived back from Lily of the Valley Island a few days ago. The trip wasn't that exciting, but it was long enough to allow me to think. I heard people talking about another region called Tissue or something like that, and I just know Ash is going to go there. They don't have Pokemon Contests over there according to one woman, only a thing called Pokemon Musicals. And you know what: I'm not changing my career or voyaging away to this far away region just for Ash!_

_But, before you think it, I didn't choose Paul either._

_As I stood on the port near TwinleafTown only a short time ago, waving goodbye to Ash and Brock, I thought about how I would miss their friendship, their loyalty, their companionship. But before Ash and Paul's battle I realised something: they are like their trainer selves in real life. Paul is reclusive and moody and only likes things going his way, while Ash can be a bit too extreme, over the top and decides things too quickly. I don't want to commit myself to either of them at the moment: both of them need to grow up and gain some more social experience before I could possibly consider them again. Their battle was very intense, yet I don't think either of them could have ever matched the emotions I felt. _

_I decided to take a leaf out of your book: I'm not going to bother with love for the time being. It may seem hard to believe I'm giving up on love, but I have a good eight or so years to find love! I don't have that long to be a professional coordinator, and that's what's on my mind right now. I think I might head back to HearthomeCity and visit Paris. She is a Pokemon Stylist (she designs clothes for Pokemon) and is one of my idols that I thankfully got to meet one day in Hearthome. I want to go back and see her and experience some more coordinator things._

_Before I turn this letter into an essay, I just want to say thank you. I realise that our relationship started off rather iffy, but I'm so glad we were able to sort things out before we left. You are right: men can't stand in our way at this age and they certainly can't ruin our lives! I've learnt that lesson now, and I plan to stick to my values over the years to come._

_Good luck when you get back to Cerulean (you better train hard, I want another battle when we meet again!), and good luck with _NOT _finding love!_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Dawn_

_P.S. While we're on the subject of love, I know one person who needs our help…. Brock! I don't know if you had to put up with his obsessions, but don't get me started on them… _

Dawn felt a tear welling up as she finished writing the letter, and she had to drop the pen in order to brush it away. It hadn't been that long since she had bade farewell to Ash and Brock, watching them sailing away back to Kanto. The emotions of suddenly being alone again were hurting both her and Piplup, and the memories of her feelings for Ash were still raw. This letter barely scraped the surface of how she was still feeling and thinking: her future, love, Ash, Paul, Misty…. There were so many things she was thinking about, and it was hard for her to concentrate.

"Piplup Pip?" Piplup leapt up onto the dining table, staring curiously at Dawn. The young coordinator hadn't cried in weeks, but now emotions for flooding back to her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, it's just hard to remember these sorts of things, you know?" She replied, and Piplup nodded, the loss of most of his friends still with him. There were shouts from outside, and the two watched as Togekiss gave Cyndaquil, Buneary and Pachirisu rides on her back, with Mamoswine watching from beneath a tree. Dawn felt happier watching them: they were all doing so well and were happy as they waited for Dawn to decide what to do. They needed to evolve or gain more experience, and Dawn knew that she couldn't stay in TwinleafTown forever worrying about the past.

"Come on Piplup," Dawn said suddenly, folding the letter up and putting it into a previously addressed envelope. "It's time we put the past behind us!" Piplup smiled widely as he jumped onto her shoulder. Dawn beamed back and headed out the door towards the nearby post box, a sense of confidence and relief in her step. As soon as she posted the letter, she would be done with the past for now: done with Ash, done with Paul, done with worrying about things for ages.

And, for the time being, she would be done with love.

**So, here we go, the final of the trilogy. I hope you have all enjoyed reading A Lover's Tiff, A Sunken Ship and A Conference Affair. I'm sorry if the story didn't end quite the way some of you may have wanted, but I think it was best to show some maturity in Dawn and to give things a conclusion that ties in with the canon. I may write shipping stories again in the future, but for now I will be sticking with my journey-based stories. If you want more of these or just have something to say, please feel free to review any of the three stories in the trilogy, and thanks for making these stories some of my most successful ones to date :D**


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